In Israel in the 80’s we got a lot of Thomas Dolby on the radio. Mostly the bigger hits such as ‘Airwaves’ and ‘She blinded me with science’. I liked it then, but I didn’t realized just how much I really liked it. Then I went to study in New York, and so did Eric, which is a good thing, because he reintroduced me to all the Dolby records.

I ate them up voraciously. And it wasn’t just the uniqueness of style in each one, the funkyness and beauty and the effing genius use of synthesizers. It was the poetry. Everything derived from it and it was so damn expressive.

Here’s one of my favorites – ‘Airhead’ from ‘Aliens at my Buick’:

I buy her all the right clothes
and pretty jewels to wear
my friends say she’s a dumb blonde
but they don’t know she dyes her hair
she thinks the fighting in Central America’s easily solved
but what to wear to Bel-Air premieres
is a problem she could never resolve…

she’s an airhead
stungun and mace – Kharmann Ghia plates say ‘Lost in Space’
she’s an airhead
thousands in trust – cusp Aquarius – get serious
she’s an airhead
tinted contacts don’t change the fact that black is black
she’s an airhead
and while I’m impressed with the length of those legs
she’s not an intellectual giant….

she’d like to model or maybe act
or start a magazine
before she signs any contracts
I think she better learn to read
but in her dreams she’s the queen of the fashion regime…
you ask me do I love you…
does the pope live in the woods?
quod erat demonstrandum, baby.
( ooo you speak French)

she’s an airhead
stungun and mace – Kharmann Ghia plates say ‘Lost in Space’
she’s an airhead
thousands in trust – cusp Aquarius – get serious
she’s an airhead
tinted contacts don’t change the fact that black is black
she’s an airhead
and while I’m impressed with the length of those legs
she’s not an intellectual giant….

sweet and low and oh-so
little Ms. Dora Jarre
safe sex and fishnets
and could you walk me to my car
she’s losing faith in a world that is out of control
so she’s gonna nix politics,
she’s taking up volleyball! volleyball! why?

thousands in trust – cusp Aquarius – get serious
she’s an airhead
and now the time’s come for the end of my song,
don’t get me wrong
if she’s an airhead it has to be said
it was men made her that way
it was us made her that way
it was us made her that way!

And here is a very crude demo I recorded yesterday of my cover of the song with me playing piano and singing:

I know there’s a good reason why I connect so genuinely with this particular song, but I haven’t quite figured it out yet…

6 Comments

And thank YOU, in turn, for introducing me to his poetry and music. Alas, my “vintage” mac powerbook (as the smooth-faced employees of the Philly mac store described it) has lost the ability to produce sound, so I will have to wait till I’m back in LA to hear your crystalline tones!

Being a “child of the 80s” myself, Thomas Dolby was one of my mainstays for all the reasons you stated. I was also a rabid competitor in the then new hobby of car audio sound-offs. “Airhead” & Basia’s “Time & Tide” were great for the sound pressure segment of a competition. He was great company on long road trips to shows or to go to dinner. (I lived 60 miles from everywhere at that time)

I’m just rediscovering Dolby’s genius, too, and remembering friends & good times from 30+ years ago.